In general, a coaxial cable for use in signal transmission, such as an antenna wire, comprises an inner conductor, an outer conductor disposed around the inner conductor, an insulator interposed between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, and an outer jacket covering the circumference of the outer conductor. To an end portion of the coaxial cable, a coaxial connector is attached for connection to a mating device or the like.
As such a coaxial connector, there is conventionally known, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, a coaxial connector 500 comprising a connection terminal 510 adapted to be connected to an inner conductor 610 of a coaxial cable 600, a metal shell 520 supporting the connection terminal 510 and adapted to be connected to an outer conductor 620 of the coaxial cable 600, and an insulating portion 530 interposed between the connection terminal 510 and the shell 520, wherein the inner conductor 610 and the connection terminal 510 are electrically connected together by bending the shell 520, the insulating portion 530, and the connection terminal 510 to thereby grasp the inner conductor 610 by the connection terminal 510 (see, e.g. JP-A-2002-324636).
In the case of the conventional coaxial connector 500, in order to improve the reliability of connection between the outer conductor 620 and the shell 520 and to improve the reliability of retention of the coaxial cable 600, an insulator 630, the outer conductor 620, and an outer jacket 640 of the coaxial cable 600 are held under pressure by means of respective tongues 522a of the shell 520 as shown in FIG. 13. Herein, since a cable press-holding portion B holding the coaxial cable 600 under pressure is a portion where the coaxial cable 600 is fixed by the tongues 522a, it cannot be bent as is different from those portions of the coaxial cable 600 other than the cable press-holding portion B.
The coaxial cable 600 is attached to the conventional coaxial connector 500 in the following manner. First, as shown in FIG. 11, the inner conductor 610 is disposed between a pair of contacts 511 of the connection terminal 510. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the connection terminal 510 is bent by bending the shell 520 and the insulating portion 530 so that the connection terminal 510 grasps the inner conductor 610 in pressure contact therebetween. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the coaxial cable 600 is held under pressure by bending the tongues 522a of the shell 520.